Glass melting furnace



Patented Feb. 1, 1949 ,GLAS S, MELTING FURNACE Levi S. Longenecker} MountiLebanon, Pa.

Application November 2, 1945;Serial- No. 526,2t9

' 8 Claims. 101. 549 m) 1 This invention relates to regenerative tank type glass melting "furnaces and'to the port struc- -'ture of such furnaces.

The present day port structures of glass melt- "ing furnaces at the type referred to are not satisiactcry when liquid fuel delivered at relatively high nozzle velocities is used. I

S far as I know, all installations prior to this invention in which-high velocity liquid fuel is =-introduced -into the incoming air-*stream -from a i point adjacent that at Which-such stream enters the furnace chamber, are open to serious objections.

If'the fuel is introducedthr'ough a *burner block located in the r00; or arch 'of'the furnace chamber, the fuel jet, 'in order to meet the air stream anywhere near the port mouth,'must be directed at such an angle with relation to the axis of the air stream that the high veloc'ityfuel jet bores through such stream and splashes oil the surface of the glass-causing high turbulance which results in a local hot spot adjacent the port mouth. This prevents uniform flame coverage across the tank from port to port.

If the arrangem nt is such that the fuel enters the air stream within. the port itself, it not only burns the port refractories; but the expansion of th en -j et plusthe partial combustion thereof 1w ic-h takes place Within the port tends to block =the port-and reduce the volume of preheated air thatican pass therethrough to the furnace-chamber.

"When the fuel is injected into the air stream from belowthe/port, it tends'to force'the preheated air upwardly toward the furnace roof and away from thesurface of the glass. With such an arrangement, the burner blocks and the burners are inaccessible, making it hard to service the :sar'ne. 'The'burners are alsohard to adjust. The

burner nozzle is so close" to'the edge of the tank that the high velocity 'iet tends to cause a cold turbulency and local hot spots whereby substantiallyuniforrn combustion can be maintained across substantially the full width of thetank.

A further object is to produce an improved suspended roof structure for the ports of a glass melting furnace still urtherohjectis tc produces. suspended 1 knuckle-hire rear" for the preheated air, ports of embodying th s invention and is taken "through the-longitudinal center cf one of'the furnace ports;

Fig.2 is a 'detail sectional View oi the port lmuckle, aportion of thepurnace chamber'roof a pcrtien of the roof for the uptake ofthe adjacent regenerator. This View is takenon line IIlI of Fig. 3 and cniits the port-pillars'andside walls; V

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a portic'n-of'the 'furnace parts illustrated inFig. 2,-but--inclicates the port pillars or side walls by dot -anddash 1 lines Figs i is a vicwlooki-ng towardthe iront ofone oi the-.iurnace ports anclshcws the furnace roof in section. This viewis taken from line IV'-l;-V of :Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a, sectionalview taken-on =linc"V'-V .of Fig. 3.

The furnace chosen for the purpose'of Fillus- I tratingv my invention, is the .iniinany-respects as the usual regenerative OlfiCOlflillllllOl-IS tank type glass melting furnace, especially. in

those parts located below the floor line of-the furnace ports.

.I The'tank, of which only the bottom iiiand one side wall it are shown, is located belowthe "furnace chamber i2 and. is adapted to contain a bath of molten glass and batch material.

The side'wallsof furnace chamber i2 are provided'vvith oppositely posit-lo iri ports which serve as inletportsior preheateclalr and outlet croutgoing ports for the hot products of combustion is'now common in this'type of glass melting 'furnace.

These ports can he "of any -W-ldthand of any desired numbcr;and one crm'bre fuel-injecting devices can beemployedfiry'con- 3 disclosed but one furnace port. This is numbered I (Fig. 4) and receives preheated air from regenerator it.

Each regenerator Hi (there being one such regenerator on each side of the furnace) is provided with an uptake for each port 45. Each such uptake is provided with a roof H, a back wall l8, a front wall i9 and parallel side walls, only one of which is shown in Fig. 1 and is numbered 28. A pair of such walls for port l5 are shown in Fig. 3 by dash lines. Walls extend from back wall E8 of the uptake to the furnace chamber where they terminate in pillars 2! adjacent the mouth of port l5.

A floor or platform 22, formed as a continuation of tank block 23, extends from such block to and across the top of inside wall i9 of the uptake;

Side walls 20 and platform 22 constitute the sides and floor of port i5, while a suspended angular roof knuckle forms the top of the port and constitutes an important part of this invention.

This port roof knuckle which is suspended in position over platform 22 approximates a shallow V when viewed in longitudinal section and comprises legs 24 and 25 which join in a bottom curve portion 25. Leg 24 extends upwardly from portion 26 to roof 2'! of the furnace chamber and is provided with one or more burner blocks 28 (only one being shown) each having a conical opening 29 extending therethrough. Leg 25, which forms 3 one wall of the throat of the port, at its rear end joins roof I? of the uptake.

The knuckle-like roof forms a restricted throat for the port and gives form and velocity to the preheated air stream issuing from the port.

The roof knuckle, the furnace chamber roof and the roof of the uptake are all preferably made of refractory blocks or tile of the type broadly disclosed in my Patent 1,590,303. furnace chamber roof 2'! and the uptake roof I! are respectively suspended from beams 30 and 3|, preferably in the manner disclosed in Patent 2,126,901 issued to me on August 16, 1933. The blocks or tile forming the port roof knuckle are suspended from beams 32 by support members 33 and hangers 34 as disclosed in Patent 2,240,190 issued to me on April 29, 1941.

A high velocity liquid fuel jet projecting device 35 (one for each burner block) is suitably supported within the upper hollow portion of the knuckle so that a jet of liquid fuel projected thereby passes through the opening in its burner block and meets the preheated air stream issuing from port l5 adjacent the tank face of block 23.

While I have shown the roof of the furnace chamber as suspended, it will be apparent that such roof may, if desired, be of the sprung arch type. I prefer to have the port roof knuckle suspended from the furnace superstructure as shown, but it will be apparent that it can be supported from the port side walls by means of beams or other structural members having their ends anchored in such walls.

The port roof knuckle need not necessarily be located in the position shown in Fig. 1. It may be positioned nearer the furnace chamber or further from the furnace chamber. 1, however, prefer to place it in about the position shown in Fig. 1, so

that the axis of the jet of liquid fuel projected by the burner jet nozzle will met the'axis of the air stream at an angle such that objectionable turbulency will not be occasioned.

H It will'be understood that while the sides of The 4 the furnace roof proper terminate at pillars 21', the roof is provided with portions that extend outwardly over the tops of such pillars and the outer ends of such ports as disclosed in Figures 1 and 3. V

The port roof knuckle is a self-contained unit, is located between the port side walls and is independent of the furnace chamber roof, whether such roof is of the suspended type as shown herein or is of the sprung arch type.

It will also be apparent that this knuckle can be so positioned longitudinally of the port side walls as to obtain the desired relatively small angle between the axis of the preheated air stream and the axis of the fuel jet, whereby combustion can be initiated at a point relatively close to the tank edge of block 23 without such tur bulence or splashing as would'tend to cause an intense localized hot spot on the surface of the glass bath.

The furnace, of course, is adapted to be reversed during operation, so that each port it not only serves to deliver preheated air to furnace chamber l2, but also serves as an outlet or outgoing port for the hot products of combustion as they leave the furnace chamber on their way to the regenerator when the operation of the furnace has been reversed, as will be understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

1. In a regenerative tank type glass melting furnace having a port arranged to discharge a substantially horizontal stream of preheated air across the furnace chamber; such port having a floor, side walls and a refractory knuckle-like roof located between such side walls, approximating a shallow V in longitudinal sectional and forming a restricted throat for such port; the leg of such knuckle adjacent the furnace chamber being provided with a through opening, and a burner nozzle positioned above such knuckle and arranged to project a jet of liquid fuel through such opening and into the preheated air stream as such stream enters the furnace chamber.

2. In a glass melting furnace having a port arranged to discharge a stream of preheated air across the furnace chamber; such port having a floor, side walls and a refractory knuckle-like roof suspended between such walls, forming a restricted throat for such port and provided with a burner opening in that portion thereof adjacent the furnace chamber, and a burner nozzle positioned above such knuckle and arranged to project a jet of liquid fuel through such opening and into the preheated air stream entering the furnace chamber.

3. In a glass melting furnace comprising a heating chamber, a tank below such chamber for containing a bath of molten glass, an air preheating regenerator and a port for discharging a substantially horizontal stream of preheated air derived from such regenerator across such chamber above said tank; said port having a floor, side walls and a, knuckle-like roof which approximates a shallow V in longitudinal section and forms a restricted throat for such port such roof in the leg thereof adjacent the furnace chamber having an opening extending therethrough, and a jet projecting device located above such roof and arranged to project a jet of liquid fuel through such opening and into such stream of preheated air as it enters the furnace chamber from such port.

4. In a glass melting furnace comprising a heating chamber, a tank below said chamber for containing a bath of molten glass, an air preheating regenerator and a port for discharging preheated 6 7. A structure as defined in claim 4, in which the knuckle-like roof extends from the furnace chamber roof to the regenerator uptake roof.

8. A structure as defined in claim 4, in which air from such regenerator into and across said 5 the burner nozzle is positioned within the space chamber above said tank; said port having a floor, side walls and a suspended knuckle-like roof which approximates a shallow V in longitudinal section, forms a restricted throat for such port and which in the leg thereof adjacent the furnace chamberis provided with a burner opening, and a burner nozzle locatedabove such roof and arranged to project a jet of liquid fuel through such opening and into the preheated air entering the furnace chamber from said port.

5. A structure as defined in claim 3, in which the leg of the roof knuckle adjacent the furnace chamber is shorter than the other leg.

6. A structure as defined in claim 4, in which the knuckle-like roof is suspended independently of the furnace chamber roof.

between the legs of the knuckle-like roof.

' LEVI S. LONGENECKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,637,473 Culbertson Aug. 2, 1927 1,653,507 Pike Dec. 20, 1927 1,893,061 Peiler Jan. 3, 1933 2,300,426 Longenecker Nov. 3, 1942 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,460,514. February 1, 1949.

LEVI S. LON GENEOKER It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 3, line 72, for the word met read meet; column 4, line 39, claim 1, for sectional read section;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read With these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 31st day of May, A. D. 1949.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

